During the mid-19th century, cholera was a dreaded disease causing widespread morbidity and mortality. One such ground-breaking event occurred in the bustling streets of London’s Soho district, where an outbreak of cholera led to a significant scientific discovery. The prevalence of cholera was particularly concerning, with periodic outbreaks wreaking havoc on its inhabitants. However, it wasn’t until the 1854 Soho cholera outbreak that new research methods were pioneered, leading to a breakthrough in understanding the nature of the disease. Scientific breakthroughs have played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of diseases throughout history. 

The Broad Street Pump and John Snow’s Investigation:

The Soho cholera outbreak began in August 1854 when numerous individuals succumbed to the disease within a short span of time. At the epicentre of this calamity was the Broad Street Pump, a common source of drinking water for the local community. Enter Dr John Snow, a pioneering physician who embarked on a comprehensive investigation to understand and combat the outbreak. Dr Snow’s research methods were revolutionary for the time. Rather than relying on traditional medical assumptions, he adopted a more empirical and data-driven approach. Dr Snow collected extensive data by mapping the location of cholera cases in Soho and meticulously documenting each victim’s residence. By superimposing this information on a map of the area, Dr Snow began to identify a pattern relating to the Broad Street Pump.

Utilizing a combination of advanced data collection and statistical methods, Dr Snow discovered that the cholera cases clustered around the pump, leading him to suspect that contaminated water was the primary cause of the outbreak. Importantly, Dr Snow’s investigation dispelled the prevailing miasma theory, which held that bad odours in the air were responsible for transmitting diseases. Dr Snow’s scientific breakthrough had profound implications, laying the foundation for modern epidemiology and the importance of evidence-based medicine. By employing meticulous data collection, spatial analysis, and critical thinking, Snow challenged prevailing theories and provided the necessary evidence to combat cholera effectively.

In 2008 John Hattie published one of the most extensive and influential research projects in the field of education. Over the course of 15 years, John Hattie employed a meta-analysis approach that synthesized over 800 meta-analyses and integrating data from millions of students to determine what truly makes a difference in education. He devised a measure called “effect size” which allowed him to compare the impact of various teaching strategies and classroom factors on student achievement. By examining the effect size of numerous factors, Hattie was able to rank them based on their significance in determining pupil progress. Hattie aimed to identify the attributes that have the biggest impact on pupil progress. His findings have revolutionized the way we understand effective teaching practices and highlighted the significance of evidence-based learning as an integral part of everyday classroom practice. Hattie’s research and explore the connection between evidence-based learning and its role in enhancing pupil progress.

Today, Dr Snow’s research methods remain essential in various scientific disciplines. From mapping disease zones to uncovering patterns and employing statistical tools, his ground-breaking techniques continue to shape contemporary research methodologies. Additionally, his work catalysed improvements in public health infrastructure, leading to the implementation of better sanitation systems and clean drinking water supplies.

Dr Snow’s investigation and John Hattie’s study provoked me into spending a long period of time contemplating about what my research must achieve, I concluded it should not be used to prove one’s own theory. In fact, you could argue the opposite, your research should set out to disprove one’s own theory. Because there are a lot of educational books out there written by ‘education professionals’ that tell you how to teach but they have very little evidence to back up their suppositions. My research is the search for a truth or truths. collecting, collating data, and evaluating its impact. In essence my research will provide teachers and other educational practitioners the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of processes at work in their own or other organisations.

Global trend in Boys Underachievement at GCSE

Before I look at the ‘how’ let me address the “why”. There is a national and Global trend in Boys Underachievement at GCSE compared to Girls. 78.7 per cent of entries from girls achieved a grade 4 in comparison with 71.9 per cent of boys. After TAGs the gap between boys and girls has remained the same, with the gap only slightly narrowing by 0.1 percentage points in comparison with last year. 2021 witnessed 82.5 per cent of entries from girls achieved a grade 4 or above in comparison with 75.6 per cent of entries from boys. In 2021 witnessed girls were being awarded 34.5 per cent 9-7 grade and boys 25.5 per cent were awarded a 9-7 grade. This year 30.7 per cent of entries from girls achieved a grade 9-7 compared to 23.3 per cent of entries from boys.

In terms of my approach or ‘how”, I would be that of Dr Snow, where I already am in possession of detailed information and know what I am looking for. That is schools that consistently have a track record of raising attainment of boys. According to the Department for Education (DFE) Value Added Measures (VA), a school is only making better than expected progress if its VA score is greater than +0.5. In 2022 there were 104 schools which a VA of +0.5 only 88 of the can be officially included in the measure based on the size of the schools. 25/88 (28%) schools were Girls schools and 9/88 (10%) were Boys schools. In summary only 9 non-selective Boys‘ Schools in England Add Value to boys education based on their Progress 8 score according to the DFE’s guidance. These are the only non-selective boys schools in the whole of England using the Department of Educations guidance that are having a positive impact on boys’ education.